ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ADVENT (December 20)

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God is with us)." (Isaiah 7:14)

The love of God for us is incomprehensible. There is nothing to quantify it with, notwithstanding our weaknesses. As we gradually getting closer to the commemoration of the birth of our Redeemer, thee Church in her continuous effort to feed us with the Word reminded us of God's plan for humanity after the great fall through Prophet Isaiah:

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God is with us)." (Isaiah 7:14)

As part of the first Isaiah, the text gives us hope of restoration,  expressing the closeness of God to us. Here, Prophet Isaiah underscores the love of God through His readiness to be closer to humanity than before, this "Emmanuel - God is with us." 

This is indeed a proof of God's love upon man as His only begotten Son will now share divinity with humanity. There is no greater love than this. 

In the light of this, that Our Lady out of humility accepted the burden of being the "second Eve" so that man must be restored to his original nature without getting lost after the greatt fall "Fiat." (cf. Luke 1:26-38)

Finally, may this celebration open our eyes of faith to see the love that God has for us. Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Collect

O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the immaculate Virgin received through the message of an Angel, and so became the dwelling-place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit; grant, we pray, that by her example, we may in humility hold fast to your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son who lives and reigns forever and ever, Amen.

© The ARCHIVE                201222

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT (December 19)

Mystery of the day: Joyful

"He who is to come will come and will not delay, and now there will be no fear within our land, for he is our Saviour." (Cf.Heb 10:37)

The anticipated moment is already here. The very moment we were all longed for, even men of great faith awaited with perseverance to behold. The news of this great coming breaks bars and gates, it shatters kingdoms and territories and give hope to the hopeless. That is why the author of the letter to the Hebrews in today's entrance antiphon says:

"He who is to come will come and will not delay, and now there will be no fear within our land, for he is our Saviour." (Cf.Heb 10:37)

He is coming in power and majesty, His throne will conquer every other thrones; fear will be taken away, courage to bear witness to the Truth will be restored.

As the gospel acclamation called to mind: 

"O Root of Jesse, who stand as a sign to the nations! Come and deliver us: delay no longer."

He will certainly come to deliver us, He is our refuge and mighty in battle. The coming of Christ is adorned with glad tidings for everyone who has prepared to receive it. 

Finally, let our hearts be opened for us to welcome Him so that our lips may proclaim the joyful message together with the psalmist who says:

"My mouth is filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!" (Psalm 71:8a).

Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

O God, who through the child-bearing of the holy Virgin graciously revealed the radiance of your glory to the world, grant, we pray, that we may venerate with integrity of faith the mystery of so wondrous an Incarnation and always celebrate it with due reverence. Through our Lord Jesus Your Son who lives and reigns forever and ever, Amen.

© The ARCHIVE           18122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

Mystery of the day: Luminous 

"A branch shall sprout from the root of Jesse, and the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God." (Cf.Is 11:1;40:5;Lk 3:6)

The prophecies of Isaiah contain the in-depth mystery of the Word Incarnate, particularly extract form the first Isaiah. 

Today, he is at it again as he X-rays the root or lineage of the Messiah to come, a fulfilment of God's unfathomable promise to humanity. His coming brings about glory-filled moment among men of goodwill, leaving the earth with heavenly experience. 

However, this prophecy is an invitation to each and every one of us to get set for that day, to prepare our minds and  key into the spirit of joyful waiting. The gospel acclamation on the other hand made it explicitly clear saying:

"Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight; all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Luke3:4.6)

How prepared are we to meet the Saviour? Is our path straight? What about the mountains in our hearts? Indeed, we need a total over haul of our spiritual system by leveling the the mountains, filling the pot holes and making the path straight. We can achieve this by letting go the hurt done by others, forgiving one another, speaking good of others, putting a stop to malice, gossiping and envy, etc.

Certainly, if we happen to do this we will be counted among those who will see the salvation of the Lord. Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Unworthy servants that we are, O Lord, grieved by the guilt of our deeds, we pray that you may gladden us by the saving advent of your Only-Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you... Amen.

© The ARCHIVE                    15122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEWK OF ADVENT

Mystery of thee day: Glorious

"...Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Luke 7:20)

One of the fascinating facts about faith is conviction. One has to be convinced before believe, but at times conviction is not necessary especially when the situation in question is embedded in mystery. Thus, it becomes difficult to unravel the substance, yet faith has to come into play. The same scenario pushed John the Baptist (the desert prophet) to send his disciples to confirm the personality of Jesus.

"...Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Luke 7:20)

In response to this mind-blowing question Jesus asked them to go back and tell him what they saw. This very act points to faith. Even though John must have heard about the works of Jesus, he was not yet convinced. 

Therefore, beloved in Christ in our faith journey, do we still need to be convinced before we believe? When we consider the marvels of the Lord, His care and love. What else do we need to be convinced of? 

That is why Prophet Isaiah in today first reading proclaimed in clear terms the Divine attribute of God as: Omniscience, Omnipresence and Omnipotence. Here he brings to limelight the supernatural power and His prowess which no human intellect can decipher (cf. Isaiah 45:6b-8.18.21b-25).

However, with this dearest in the Lord, we need to move in faith not necessarily with what we see or feel rather with conviction that He is God of possibilities whose power cannot be understood.

Let us therefore trust in Him, believe in Him and Hope in Him no matter the situation. 

Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the coming solemnity of your Son may bestow healing upon us in this present life and bring us the rewards of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Your Son who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE  14122022

ADVENT DIGEST with PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

TUESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR 

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain." (Isaiah 40:1-11)

Peace! Be with you.

Fada PIUSRALPH prays for you

Let us pray

O God, who have shown forth your salvation to all the ends of the earth, grant, we pray, that we may look forward in joy to the glorious Nativity of Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE        06122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful

"The LORD is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. The LORD ransoms the souls of his servants. All who trust in him shall not be condemned."

(Psalm 34: 19 & 23)

There is no better news than the proclamation by the Psalmist in the last verse of today's psalm when he said: 

The LORD is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. The LORD ransoms the souls of his servants. All who trust in him shall not be condemned."

(Psalm 34: 19 & 23)

This is the summary of the anticipated moment we are eager to behold - the Christmastide. The season where man's salvific history was re-written with the birth of our Lord. The psalmist here reechoed the salvific mission of the Lord, that when He comes He will heal the broken hearted. He will save the downtrodden, and gives comfort to the distressed.

The coming of our Lord as the Word incarnate expresses God's unfathomable love for humanity. It underscores the loving-kindness of God to man notwithstanding his deficiencies. 

It is in the light of this joyful waiting that we are all invited to repent and believe in the gospel; and not as the son who promised the father that he will go, and later he did not. (cf. Matthew 21:28-32). Let us not be carried away with the identity which people recognised us with, that is "Christians"; rather let our thoughts, words and actions speak volume of our personality as true Christians.

Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

O God, who through your Only Begotten Son have made us a new creation, look kindly, we pray, on the handiwork of your mercy, and at your Son’s coming cleanse us from every stain of the old way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns, God forever and ever. Amen

© The ARCHIVE              13122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT 

Mystery of the day: Joyful

"... a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel." (Numbers 24:17a)

Beloved in Christ, on this day (Monday) of the third week of advent, the Church called to mind the supreme authority of our Lord which the first reading describeed Him as a rising star from the lineage of Jacob and sceptre out of the land of Israel (cf. Numbers 24:17a) His kingdom was not of this world but of God. 

Consequently, this Divine plan raises dust among the Chief priests and elders in today's gospel pericope, having witnessed the authority of Christ in teaching and healing (cf.Matthew 21:23-27). They did not understand the worth and authority of our Lord, thus pushing them to ask our Lord on whose authority does He teach and heal?

Dearest friends, in our day-to-day living, do we recognize the authority of Jesus? Do we believe in Him as the rising star of the David's lineage? Then, if not we are not far from.the camp of the Chief priests and elders we have seen in today's gospel. 

As we are anticipating the commemoration of the first coming of the Word incarnate, whose sceptre and power comes from God, let us make haste to prepare for His coming. Let our thougts, words and actions bear witness to His authority, so that we may see Him as He really is on the last day. 

Peace! Be with you.

Let us pray

Incline a merciful ear to our cry, we pray, O Lord, and casting light on the darkness of our hearts, visit us with the grace of your Son. Who lives and reigns with you, God for ever and ever, Amen.

© The ARCHIVE           12122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR 

Mystery of the day: Glorious

"He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40: 28ff.) 

When the Scripture says: "the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom..."  (I Corinthians 1:25) We begin to think of the Omnisciece nature of God, which is one of His attributes. 

That is to say, God is too deep rooted to be deciphered, He dwells in mystery. Any day we understand Him, as He really is; that same day He ceased to be God. 

This therefore follows that, since we cannot understand Him in His mystery He remains "eternal." 

This forms the background of our reflection on this day: Wednesday of the Second Week in Advent. As we continue to journey with Prophet Isaiah who in His utterance as God commanded Him saying:

"He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40: 28ff.) 

This implies that, God is not tired of our situation or too busy to hearken to our plea. He is always there for us in and out of season. His love endures forever as the Psalmist in final song of sheer praise (cf. Psalm 150:1ff.)

In the light of this, When man thinks it is finished, God says "This is the beginning of the Divine manifestation." For God sees the end from the beginning. These words of His from the prophecy of Isaiah reassures us that amidst our limitations, He is always there to give us a leaning shoulder. comforting our distressed minds and healing our wounds.

Let us then walk without fear for He is our strength and light which dispels the darkness on our path.

Peace! Be with you

Fada PIUSRALPH prays for you

Let us pray

Almighty God, who command us to prepare the way for Christ the Lord, grant in your kindness, we pray, that no infirmity may weary us as we long for the comforting presence of our heavenly physician. Who lives and reigns with you. in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God forever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE                   07122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

Monday OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR 

Mystery of the day: Joyful

"Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy." (Isaiah 35:4-6)

Here Prophet Isaiah prophecised the joy of the redeemed whom God out of love promised to turn "impossibilities" into "possibilities." 

As a "can do God or God of possibilities" who handles the steering in every situation sets out today to give us assurance that amidst lost hope He will certainly bring back smiles on our faces. 

On this note that He commanded Prophet Isaiah to announce to us saying:

"Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy." (Isaiah 35:4-6)

For man, wilderness and wasteland are hopeless places where nothing good can come from. But today God change the thought of men around announcing that from these desolate places shall come fertility in abundance. Stating that:

"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom..." (Isaiah 35:1)

This promise of God gears toward our human condition, assuring us that when man says: "It is finished", God with smiling face says: " It is not yet over, the glory of the later days will return as that of Lebanon." (cf. Isaiah 35:3)

Let our challenges and care be presented to God in prayer. Let fear not grips us any longer, for He is coming with vengeance and recompense of God. 

Peace! Be with you.

Fada PIUSRALPH prays for you

Let us pray

With purity unblemished, we, your servants may come, as we desire, to celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation of your Only-Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE        05122022

ADVENT DIGEST with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

FRIDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful

"Thus says the Lord God: Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel." ( Isaiah 29:17-19)

God has in His attribute "Love beyond telling." That is why every now and then, He keeps on giving us assurance that it will be well, that we should exercise patient. His Words cannot be futile, since He is always true to it.

In our reflection today, God spoke through Prophet Isaiah saying:

"Thus says the Lord God: Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel." ( Isaiah 29:17-19)

He is God of possibilities, who is able to bring our water from the desert and turn a mountain into a smooth path. As He promised to bring out sight from the gloom and darkness, with the meek obtaining fresh joy in the Lord.

Let us not separate ourselves from this Divine moment, as we are joyfully waiting for the coming of the Lord. Let our situation not make us to derail from the right path.

May we look beyond the present impossibilities, and move with hope of comfort to the distressed soul, peace in chaos, and light in darkness.

Following Evangelist Matthew in today's gospel pericope, he reported the incident of the healing of the two blind men. Still a "possibility amidst impossibilities." 

"At that time: As Jesus passed on, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" (Matthew 9:27ff)

This healing came out of hope and believe that Jesus can do it. That is why He asked: 

"Do you believe that I am able to do this?"

And they replied in affirmation, Yes! Beloved in Christ, how often do we believe that God is the solution of our problems without relying on our seemingly capacities. Be rest assured that we cannot do it without God, as He continue to control the steering.

Finally, let us be hopeful in God for He will never put us to shame. 

Peace! Be with you

Fada PIUSRALPH prays for you.

Let us pray

Stir up your power, we pray, O Lord, and come, that with you to protect us, we may find rescue from the pressing dangers of our sins, and with you to set us free, we may be found worthy of salvation. Who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

© The ARCHIVE        02122022